වැද්දා

Vedda (1681). The OED2 states: "(Sinhalese vedda, archer, hunter.) A member of an aboriginal people inhabiting the forest districts of Sri Lanka." Other forms found in English literature pertaining to Sri Lanka are Vaddah, Veaddah, Veddah, Veddha, Vedah, Veda, Vellah, Weddah, Wedah, Bedah, Beda. I have found that Veddah is the predominant form rather than the OED headword Vedda.

The earliest reference given in the entry is by Robert Knox from An Historical Relation of Ceylon (1681:61): "In this Land are many of these wild men, they call them Vaddahs."

One of the advantages of Knox for researchers is that he wrote about most things from first-hand experience. This was not the case with the Veddas, for they did not inhabit the areas to which Knox was confined. As a result Knox was compelled to draw on the reports of others. Nevertheless the Veddas did travel to Kandy to pay tribute to the king, and it was on such an occasion that Knox caught a glimpse of them. In his interleaved copy Knox (1713[1989]: III.190) writes: "I once saw a great many of these Veaddahs in the Kings City carrying theire presents... to the King Gobadah or store house, which was soone received and they soone dismissed with markes of the Kings bounty."

All the interdating references given in the OED2 entry are from anthropological works, the first dated as late as 1851. Yet there are many earlier interdating references in English literature pertaining to Sri Lanka. Robert Percival provides the first example in An Account of the Island of Ceylon (1803:271): "The origin of the Bedahs, or Vaddahs, who inhabit the deepest recesses of the Ceylonese forests, has never been traced, as no other race can be found in the eastern world which corresponds with them."

James Cordiner remarks in A Description of Ceylon (1807[1983]:53): "The tribe of wild people, called Bedahs, or Vedahs, who inhabit the mountains in the vicinity of Batticalo, is a description of natives distinct both from the subjects of Candy and those of Great Britain."

John Davy comments in An Account of the Interior of Ceylon (1821:115-6): "That singular and savage people the Weddahs, who inhabit the extensive forests on the south-eastern side of the island, between the mountains and the sea... They may, with propriety, be divided into the village Weddahs and the forest Weddahs; the one, having a fixed abode and living in society; the other, having no fixed habitation, being rather solitary animals than social, and resembling more beasts of prey, in their habits, than men."

De Butts relates an incident in which some Veddas were ejected from a court of justice due to their attire in Rambles in Ceylon (1841:148): "In a few minutes the Veddahs, headed by their 'ancient,' re-entered the hall of justice in a variety of rather grotesque costumes. Some were swathed, like Egyptian mummies, in immense rolls of country cloth, which enveloped their entire persons, arms and all, and effectually prevented any further